Taumanu Reserve is a recreational area of about 7 hectares of reclaimed land which has been constructed over the last three years or so. To be enjoyed by people, by the birdlife, and if unlucky, by rats and stoats and other unwanted creatures. To prevent the latter, there is a good number of traps spread over the grounds.

The other day when I was visiting the reserve, I found Jane busy at work, inspecting the traps, supplying fresh bait and performing general maintenance. She is a volunteer, Operations Director with the Wildlife Conservation Trust of New Zealand. And she is an ambassador for the place, responding to questions from the public, explaining her work, pointing out the roosting birds: oystercatchers, pied stilts, dotterels. On my visit, the traps were empty, which I assume to be a good sign, meaning that the rodents stay out. And the presence of pied stilt chicks would confirm this.

The newly reclaimed Onehunga foreshore – now named “Taumanu Reserve” – was opened last November. It is pleasing to see that after all the disturbance with heavy earthmoving machinery etc the birds appear to have adopted the place. Oystercatchers and pied stilts are roosting there regularly, and a number of NZ dotterels are in residence; ducks and herons too.

The tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) is an endemic New Zealand bird of the honeyeater family. The tuft of white feathers at the throat explains the obsolete English name “parson bird”. Shown here on New Zealand flax (phormium tenax) at the Arataki Lookout.

Karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus) is an endemic New Zealand tree with glossy evergreen leaves. The pulp of the berries is said to be edible, while the raw stones are toxic (cooking them long enough apparently can make them edible — I think I will give them a miss).